Two days went by, in which Ishida recovered and Ichigo was guarded by Ulquiorra and Starrk.
Ichigo had come to learn that the latter was - despite his laid back attitude - very attentive.
Still the one eyed Vampire hadn't been Shiros first choice.
He'd wanted Grimmjow to take the job, but the Vampire refused and his superior had been to exhausted to fight it out, so he let the blunette do as he pleased and chose Starrk instead.
The orange head was glad that his guards kept hidden in the shadows around his house, so his sisters wouldn't get involved in any way.
In his opinion it was enough that his father knew and might get into the crossfire.
Ichigo was very worried about what the slayers might be planning by now, and when they might appear at his home, no doubt with the intent to kill him.
Actually it bothered him so much that he couldn't either sleep or eat, but he forced himself to at least do the last, because Shiro had warned him that starving oneself wasn't a good idea, when being surrounded by normal humans.
Anyhow, so far nothing really happened, but the albino Vampire showing up once a day and spending some time with his boyfriend.

On the third day than, eventually something happened.
Shiro had spend the night over at Ichigos and the orangette now was making them some light breakfast consisting of toast and yoghurt with fruits, when they both heard noise coming from outside, at the front door.
Ichigo huffed, headed over to the door, pulled it open and found two shades of blue struggling with each other.
Grimmjow had come to Ichigos house, for whatever reason and held Ishida captured, who tried to free his right arm from the iron grip on it, hissing curses to the taller Vampire and occasionally throwing a dart at his face, which were either slapped aside or dodged.

After he had successfully avoided another of the projectiles, Grimmjow snarled and pulled on Ishidas arm.
"How much of this shit do you have? And stop wriggling around!"
Ichigo watched the two, just some moments, than he made himself noticed to them, by saying in a low voice.
"Grimmjow, let him go."
The blunette turned his gaze to the orange head.
"And who are you, thinking you can command me around, eh kid?"
Through the lack of proper sleep, Ichigos temper was very short, which Grimmjow got to feel, when a fist connected with his gut.
Ichigo had surprised him with his sudden attack and knocked the air out of him, but he didn't feel much pain, though the orangette had managed that he let go of the slayer brat.
"You'll pay for this, little shit."
Grimmjow growled, glaring daggers at Ichigo and receiving a similar glare from the smaller male.
"You think so?"
"Yea. I punch you into next century."
"That a promise?"
Ishida watched the two, battling for dominance, trying to subdue the other with icy glares and playing the peacock.
The slayer almost was certain that he could taste the testosterone the two emitted, but it did only last until another one came out of the house to see what was going on.

"Ichi, everything alright here?"
Shiro had started to wonder why his boyfriend did take so long to get the two males at his door into the house, but than he found him in a glaring contest with the blue top and a dumbfounded slayer watching them.
When he had spoken the two immediately broke the eye contact, neither one winning the dispute.
Ishida watched the change in attitude in awe, as those two dominant males, unwilling to give in to each other, almost cowered in front of the presence of the albino.
Though it didn't really look like cowering, but they did back down to the pure blood.
"Yeah, Shiro all's right."

Shiro eyed Grimmjow shortly, than watched Ishida suspiciously.
"So, finally one of them showed up, but what in the name of everything that's holy, do you do here, Grimmjow? I thought you refused to come into smell range of here."
The blunette grunted, than grumbled out some words, about getting Shiro home, because Shinji was acting strange.
Shiro told him to leave then, and that he would be there later.

After Grimmjow was gone, his attention turned to Ishida.
"Shall I be grateful that you didn't stab our backs or worried that you have some worse plan than that?"
The young archer pushed his lenses up, before he answered.
"I'm not here to execute you, but to talk. Currently I'm the only thing that holds the others back from jumping at your necks."
Ichigo gestured for Ishida to come in and take a seat.
"Than let's talk."
He said, while following after him.

When they all had taken a seat and gotten some drinks - Ichigos being put into a coca cola cup, so the slayer needn't see it - the orangette took it up to him to talk first.
"Ishida, I apologize for what happened. In my defense, I've been completely unaware that I had a Vampire side sleeping in me, as had been Shiro or anyone of his group."
"I wasn't about to blame you or anyone else, but I accept your apology. What I'm actually here for is, that we need to find a way to convince the others to forgive you as well or something equal to that."
Ichigo gave him a knowing look.
"Of course you already have a plan, haven't you?"
"Sure. You should come back with me and continue where we were interrupted."
Shiro made a low growling sound in his throat at the suggestion, of Ichigo resuming his job as a slayer, but silenced when Ichigo laid a hand on one of his thighs.

In spite of the calming gesture directed toward him, the albino felt the anger welling in the other one as much as in himself.
"Ishida, do you know what you just suggested?"
"Yes. I asked you to continue being a slayer."
"Have you lost your brain? I didn't want to live by your law from the beginning and now you ask me to do it again? This is...! I'd betray my kin, you understand that? I'm no longer just a slayer, nor am I just a Vampire, I'm both! Ok you know what? From now on I'm the swizz. I just want both to get over their differences and stop fighting. You can tell the others that."
Ichigo ended his rant, than stood up from his seat and asked Ishida to leave the house.

Before the slayer left Ichigo told him one last thing.
"Oh, and Ishida?"
"Yes, Kurosaki."
"It doesn't mean that I will stand by and watch you going on with killing innocent. If I see anyone of you pointing their weapons at a Vampire, without obvious reason,..."
Ichigo paused, than said with a deep voice, coated in venom.
"I'll kill you."
Ishida felt a shock of fear run along his spine,as cold as ice.
If he thought the pure blood was dangerous, than maybe he had to think over it now.

Shortly after the slayer had left, Shiro was on his way too.
It had urged him the whole time to go,when Grimmjow had told him about Shinji acting strange, but he didn't dare to leave Ichigo alone with the archer, even if Starrk had been outside, and his eye set on the threat.
When Shiro arrived back at the mansion, Grimmjow was waiting for him already.
"Gods. The lordship finally arrived. Really, Shinji's giving me the creeps."
The blunette led Shiro to Shinjis apartment wing and there to the Vampires bedroom, all the while telling Shiro of what had been going on.
"He didn't come out of his room the whole morning and when I checked in on him, he just sat there, staring off into space. I thought maybe he was having one of his visions, so I left again. But after that he still wouldn't show up downstairs for hours. When I looked for him again, he sat on the same spot like before."
Shiro entered the room alone, where he found Shinji sit cross legged and with blank eyes on the floor.

He wasn't sure if the blonde noticed his presence, or what caused Shinji to turn his absent gaze directly toward him, but as he did so, three little words passed his lips.

"Ille est apparuit."

Chapter 18
End

Latin dictionary:

Ille est apparuit = Translation will be in the next chapter